The Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) is the governing authority over all aspects of civil aviation in the United States. In 2016, the FAA estimated that there were roughly 1.1 million Unmanned Aerial Systems (“UAS”) (a/k/a “drones”) in the United States. The FAA also expects drone usage to triple to about 3.55 million by 2021. Since December 2015, the FAA has required
mandatory registration for all UAS which weigh more than 0.55 pounds and less than 55 pounds. However, a federal appeals court ruled in May that the FAA does not have the authority to regulate “model aircraft” and require mandatory registration. Still, more than 770,000 drones have been registered in the U.S.—more than double the number of manned aircrafts.